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It's a very slow process - two steps forward, one step back - but I'm inching in the right direction. - Rob Reiner

February 19, 2013

BOA Chicago Marathon and Active.com -You Get a Big Fat F!!!

Jim and I have been planning to run the BOA Chicago Marathon for well over a year now.

We had heard that the race would likely sell out in the first day this year and this might be the last year that it wasn't a lottery or time qualified. So we knew if we wanted to run Chicago it would probably need to be this year.

So, I have been stalking their website for months waiting on the registration date and time. Finally a few months ago it was announced. I put it on my calendar and planned around it. We were planning an AZ trip, but made sure we were home yesterday and not traveling today in order to be online promptly when it opened.

BOA partnered with Active.com for registration...you know Active.com - the largest online registration website out there.

Registration opened today at noon CST. I was online at 11:45 and kept hitting refresh until about 11:58 when it actually opened a few minutes early, I was so excited...maybe that was a good sign I would get in.

NO!! I don't know if anyone else tried to register today but what an EPIC failure on the part of Bank of America, the Chicago Marathon, and Active.com

The website crashed all day. You would get into the registration site over and over and go through the full registration process just to have it crash at the end. Finally after a couple of hours they shut down the registration link....then they brought it back up...same issues. They finally took it down again and everyone waited patiently for the 6pm update on what they were going to do about registration.

Here is there update from their website:

We are incredibly sorry that runners interested in signing up for the 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon experienced such difficulties today. We have been working nonstop with our registration provider to find the root of the problem and a solution. Many runners were able to sign up before the registration process was suspended. There are currently 15,000 entries remaining. Before we re-open registration, we need to make sure all technical issues are permanently resolved. We will provide ample notice regarding when the registration process will re-open.For those who were able to successfully complete the registration process, you can confirm your registration by going to www.chicagomarathon.com/confirmation. For those that were charged more than once, our registration provider Active.com is in the process of refunding any duplicate charges and will notify these participants.We do not plan on reopening registration within the next two days. We will provide another update on registration by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on Thursday.I wasn't one of the lucky people to get registered. I tried for hours and hours. I waited and waited for updates. It's frustrating to say the least. I even tried calling Active.com to see if I could register over the phone. I waited on hold for 45 minutes only to be told there was nothing they could do.

Many people (according to Facebook) got registered 2 and 3 and even 4 times. Nothing about this process worked.

It's not looking good that there will be a 2013 BOA Chicago Marathon in mine and Jim's future and it's really just not fair. Now when they re-open registration - people who didn't even try to register today will have just as good as a chance to register as me. That's NOT OK. And, the chances of getting not just one, but two of us registered....seems almost impossible to me.

There is just no excuse for the technical difficulties they experienced. They knew there would be massive amounts of people trying to register for this event today. It's happened to many times at races recently, but this one was EXPECTED to fill and fast. They had to know that hundreds of thousands of peopel would try to get into the site at the same time. As my friend Coy said - If TicketMaster Can do it - they should be able to do it too. Ridiculous!

No race puts Michael in a corner! I don't wanna go without you! I'm going to send them an email today too. At least there are still spots open so all hope isn't lost but I guess neither of us would have guessed it would be this difficult.

sorry to hear about your travails....misery loves company, and so many of my blog buddies experienced the same frustration. I'd love to run Chicago someday...hopefully they'll fix the problems going forward. :>)

That's crap. I do hope you both get in. However, in the event that you don't, the Grand Rapids Marathon is October 20. It is a great marathon and you are welcome to stay at our house! I've been wanting to do another marathon so if you guys say yes, I'm in. :o) http://grandrapidsmarathon.com/

I got lucky and got in, but it doesn't seem fair. This should be my chance to meet you and Jim!!! Please don't give up. Follow those emails they send. Maybe when they take out all of the duplicates (I was in there twice) more spots will open up.

I hate that they had this problem for people trying to sign up. I ran it last year and LOVED every second of the race. My husband and I plan to run it again in 2014(we ran it in 2012). If it so happens that you do not get in this year, don't give up. I promise the race is worth trying to get in next year.